NWHL: How’d you find out that you’d be participating in the 2018 NWHL All-Star Game?

Jenny Ryan: I found out on Twitter. I kept refreshing Twitter during the Draft and it was cool to see your name pop up, all of the pictures. Brittany Ott was throwing out some pretty funny introductions to her picks so it was to fun to find out that way.

NWHL: You had to think that this was a possibility with your team’s success as well as your individual success this season right?

Jenny Ryan: Yeah I guess I had an idea, especially going to Tampa - I think everyone there had an idea that they would be in the player pool of girls that might be selected for the NWHL All-Star Game.

NWHL: You and six of your teammates will be representing the Riveters in Minnesota, that has to be a good feeling of how deep and accomplished your team is this season.

Jenny Ryan: Absolutely, it’s fun to see how many of us got picked, and the same with the Tampa games. It really does show how much talent we have on this team and it shows where we are in the standings as well. It’s pretty cool.

NWHL: Some players you played alongside in Tampa for the first time will be also with you again at the All-Star Game in Minnesota. Does that change the dynamic in a way where a lot of you won’t be meeting for the first time?

Jenny Ryan: For sure, it was fun to meet a lot of the Boston girls that I knew the names of but never really talked to; and the same with the Buffalo girls. To see that you get picked on the same team as them I think makes it a little more fun because you know them now instead of meeting them when we get to Minnesota.

NWHL: While you were in college at Wisconsin you played some games in Minnesota, how excited are you to be back in that part of the country?

Jenny Ryan: I’m excited to be going back to the Midwest. It’s obviously not Wisconsin but it’s close enough. I have some family that lives out in St. Paul and they came to a lot of my college games, so I’m excited to see them. Hockey is really big out there so it’ll be really fun for us to all go out there.

Photo By Troy Parla

NWHL: How cool is it that you make the All-Star team in your first year as an NWHL player?

Jenny Ryan: Yeah! My roommates both went last year — Court and Russo — so I heard good things and they had a lot of fun last year. I’m looking forward to it.

NWHL: Perfect segway, one of your roommates — Rebecca Russo — won the fastest skater last season during All-Star Weekend. Is there any chance you’re going to be challenging her out there?

NWHL: Being roommates with Russo does she always remind Y'all that she won that fastest skater competition or nah?

Jenny Ryan: Nope. I think Court and I would just tell her to zip it real quick (grins).

Photo By Troy Parla

NWHL:Is there any event that you would want to compete in?

Jenny Ryan:(grins) I just know I’m not doing fastest skater and I’m not doing the hardest shot (laughs)! If I have to do something - it’s not going to be those two.

NWHL:How do you approach a game like this, where it’s not as much a competition but more a showcase of the player's talent on display for the fans?

Jenny Ryan:I think it’s good for all of us to not take a weekend off because we are going there for a purpose in showcasing the women’s hockey game and our league as a whole. It does loosen up the mood because we go into all of these games wanting to win obviously and it’ll be nice to just go out there with new players, meet new people, play with players we just have met; and play good hockey against good players but not have the stress of winning and rankings. It’s just a looser feeling. It’ll be competitive and fun, and a little bit of a weight off our shoulders during the rigors of our season.